Shell Marine Products has launched a dedicated fuels barge for the Egyptian market, operating in the Suez, Adabeya and Soukhna area

The high specification 'Portsaid Star' has a capacity of 750 tonnes. Operating in accordance with the ISM code, the new barge has been built with a double bottom, fitted with a reliable heating system, in-line drip sampling mechanism and a pumping mechanism capable of delivering products at 500 tonnes an hour.

"The barge has a dedicated crew, which ensures that rigorous safety and environmental practices are always maintained, and customers receive an efficient, reliable and fast service," says Amr Adel, Shell Marine Products Regional Manager for the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa.

"The launch of the 'Portsaid Star' significantly enhances the quality of service and delivery for customers in the Suez and Soukhana area and sets new safety and environmental standards. We are constantly striving to maintain the highest levels of service for our customers by investing in technology and in our team to provide them with the best and most up-to-date training possible."

Last December Ron van den Berg, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Shell's Exploration & Production Business for the Middle East, Russia and CIS, and Shell's Country Chairman for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, was invited to Abuja in Nigeria on two separate occasions to receive two different awards.

The first time was to meet Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who awarded him an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the oil and gas industry and to the British and Nigerian Governments during his six and a half years working for Shell in Nigeria.

On the second occasion Ron was invited to Abuja by President Obasanjo of Nigeria to be awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for his services to Nigeria.

"Naturally, it has been a great honour for me to receive these two very prestigious awards. I am very proud to have been recognised for my efforts to assist in the development of Nigeria's oil and gas industry," he says.

"Of course I would not have been able to achieve the goals that led to the receipt of these awards without the fantastic support of all the many different people from Shell and the Nigerian and British Governments who have worked so hard alongside each other. It is definitely teamwork which wins in the end," he concludes.

Last year Syria Shell Petroleum Development BV (SSPD) signed a new contract for the exploration, development and production of petroleum from deep and lateral hydrocarbon reservoirs outside existing development areas, with SPC (Syrian Petroleum Company), Petro-Canada GmbH and the Syrian Government.

Campbell Keir, newly-appointed General Manager for both SSPD and AFPC (Al Furat Petroleum Company), says, "AFPC, the Syrian operating company in which Shell holds a 37.5 per cent share, is responsible for carrying out development and production operations in the existing development areas and will execute the petroleum operations for the contract on behalf of the shareholders.

Part of the contract includes a 10-well commitment. "There is a lot of work required but we have already made a good start. To date, the new agreement has contributed some 10,000 barrels per day to production and added approximately 20-million barrels reserves," Campbell concludes.

"In a ceremony held earlier this year and attended by a number of high-ranking Government officials and distinguished guests, His Excellency Malik bin Suleiman al Ma'mari, Minister of Transport & Communications, officially opened a new asphalted runway that Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) - a company in which the Government is the major shareholder and Shell holds a 34 per cent shareholding - has constructed at Fahud. The Fahud Airport thus becomes the first in the interior of the Sultanate to have an asphalted, illuminated runway that is supplied with precision landing instruments.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, John Malcolm, PDO's Managing Director, said, "It is fitting that Fahud should be the place that has the first asphalted runway within our concession area, since it has the distinction of being the first site of the first well in PDO's history". He then went on to characterise the airport as a "testament to PDO's commitment to work with the Government and other stakeholders towards the sustainable development of the Sultanate".

The RO 1 million project involved moving 40,000 cubic metres of earth and laying 145,000 square metres of asphalt, and took more than two years to complete from start to finish.

Because of the newly installed illumination, the runway will be capable of operating 24 hours a day, enhancing PDO's night-time medical evacuation capability.

For the time being, the three ATR 42-500s that Oman Air operates on behalf of PDO will be the only aircraft using the runway. But the runway has been designed in such a way that it could later be overlaid to cater for Boeing 737 aircraft and would be better equipped to act as a hub airport.

Ali al Jahadhamy, Head of Civil Engineering Services at PDO, says, "The new runway and some other recent infrastructure improvements, including the rehabilitation of deteriorated roads at Fahud and Yibal, and completion of the Grand Mosque at Fahud, have really boosted the morale of all residents and employees in the area."

Shell Egypt announced the launch of its youth enterprise programme, Intilaaqah-Egypt, in January. The literal translation of Intilaaqah from Arabic into English is 'high speed take-off', and this is the name Shell has chosen for its Middle Eastern LiveWIRE programmes

LiveWIRE was developed by Shell in the 1980s to help build the entrepreneurial capacity of young people. The programme was launched in the UK in 1982 and now operates in 24 countries across the world, including Oman and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

The programme is part of Shell's ongoing commitment to serve the interests of the countries and the communities in which it operates, offering to assist, for example, in educational, health and training projects.

The distinction of the Intilaaqah programme is that it is intended to help young people develop and create their own opportunities, and it focuses on helping them to start up their own businesses. The programme seeks to raise young people's business awareness and encourage them to come up with innovative ideas for sustainable and financially viable projects.

Intilaaqah-Egypt will provide trainees with an inquiry service, training, awareness workshops, communication materials and personal advice. It also plans to link them to counsellors from industry. Shell is sponsoring Intilaaqah-Egypt in partnership with several Eyptian organisations, most notably the Social Fund for Development, Future Pharaohs Rotary Club, AMIDEAST and the Fulbright Commission.

Alcan Gove is one of the top six alumina refineries in Australia, and an important customer for Shell Chemicals Sadaf Business Unit. Alcan Gove recently held a fund raising event, in close association with Rotary GOCROC (a sub-committee of Nhulunbuy Rotary Club), entitled 'The Top End Challenge' to purchase live-saving helicopter rescue equipment for the isolated Nhulunbuy community in Gove, Northern Australia.

Nhulunbuy is a remote coastal mining town in the Northern Territory, with a reasonably large Aboriginal population, which becomes isolated in the wet season.

'The Top End Challenge' was a long distance triathlon, covering approximately 1,900 kilometres, which involved kayaking, running and mountain biking.

Alcan Gove was not only a major sponsor of the event, but most of the participants in 'The Top End Challenge' were drawn from Alcan Gove.

The event was also backed by Shell Chemicals Sadaf Business Unit and Shell Australia, among others. Amongst the Alcan Gove staff participating were Doug Grimmond, Site Manager, who took part in the kayaking event, and Ian Wish Wilson, General Manager, Logistics, a keen jogger.

Aman Amanpour, Head of Shell Chemicals' Sadaf Business Unit, based in Dubai, said, "Alcan Gove is a highly valued customer of ours and has had a long-term relationship with Shell Chemicals for the last 18 years.

"Alcan Gove buys significant amounts of caustic soda from the Sadaf Business Unit. Shell and Alcan Gove have worked closely on such issues as Health, Safety and Environment, the sharing of best practices, risk management in handling caustic and product stewardship.

"We were very pleased to offer our financial support to Alcan Gove for 'The Top End Challenge' in view of our strong relationship and as part of the Shell Group's commitment to support Sustainable Development [SD] initiatives worldwide.

Hemant Samant, Marketing Director at the Sadaf Business Unit, said, "Like Shell, Alcan Gove's long term success and sustainability of its business is influenced by the value it places on protecting the environment, workforce health and safety and community relationships.

"They recently set up a development programme to assist the local Aboriginal population to become self-reliant."

'The Top End Challenge' raised a substantial amount of funds, meeting the target set by the organising committee.